Car loading device



15, 1938, s M NAMPA CAR LOADING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1934 w 6 mf INVENTOR. 5&0 M. Nam/va.'

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR LOADING DEVICE igan Application July 18, 1934, Serial No. 735,774

3 Claims.

This invention relates to car loading devices and more especially to mechanism for disposing an automobile in a semi-decking position for transportation purposes.

In certain respects the invention relates to a copending application of Samuel D. Butterworth, for Car loading device, Serial No. 464,830, led December 12, 1932, and assigned to the same assignee as is the present application.

Among the objects of the invention are: to provide under-supporting members pivotally connected with respect to the decking frame and adapted to swing to an out-of-the-way position Y to allow the decking frameto be lowered to a floor position for loading and unloading a vehicle and to allow the decking frame to be elevated to a substantially horizontal position closely adjacent the roof of a freight car; to provide a novel means for pivotally connecting an under-supporting member with respect to a vehicle decking frame for freight cars; to facilitate the fastening of such pivotal connection to an under-supporting member; and to provide a connecting means which is of compact, light weight construction, which can be manufactured economically, which can be readily installed, and which is strong and durable in operation.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating the genus of the invention, a typical concrete embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal section of a portion of a freight car and illustrates more or less diagrammatically the arrangement therein of a car loading device constructed substantially according to the preferred form of this invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged detail, side and end elevations, respectively, of parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an exploded View of parts shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantiallyon the as indicated at I6, to another pair of oppositely disposed suspension rods I1 which have their upper ends pivoted, as indicated at 20, also to metal parts of the car frame. But one of the rods I2 and Il of each of the pairs of suspension 5 rods is shown in Fig. 1, but it will be understood that similar rods are correspondingly disposed upon the opposite side of the frame III. The suspension rods I2 and I1 are preferably tubular in form.

A decked automobile, indicated in dot-anudash outline at I3, may be secured by suitable` fastening means 2| to opposite ends of the frame I0. As shown in Fig. 1 in full lines, the frame I0 is in semi-decking position and, as shown in dot-and-dash lines, this frame may assume a position adjacent and parallel to the car floor 22 or may assume a similar position with respect to the car roof 23. The frame IU in the position on or adjacent the floor 22 is adapted tohave 2o the automobile I3 rolled on off the frame, and when the frame is in the position adjacent the roof 23, it is parallel and closely adjacent the roof of the freight car so that the latter may be used for the transportation of a load, such as 25 a return load, of a different character from automobiles. As shown in Fig. 1, the frame I0 is in the floor position when the front pair of suspension rods I2 are inclined forwardly with respect to a vertical frame, while the rear suspension rods I'I are disposed substantially in a vertical plane.

Each of the suspension rods Il is of telescopic character and includes a lower tubular portion 24 which is large enough to receive a smaller upper tubular portion 25 having its inner or lower end enlarged or provided with stop means adapted to engage a shoulder or other stop means at the upper end of the lower tubular portion to limit the amount by which the telescopic portions of the rods I'I may be extended relative to one another. Cables 26 may be provided at each side of the frame I0 for raising the frame and causing the suspension rods I2 and I'I topivot about their upper pivotal connections I4 and 20 to move the frame longitudinally of the freight car I5 from the floor position to the full line or semi-decking position and from this position to the roof position. The cables 26 are attached to the frame Il) adjacent the pivots II upon opposite sides: of the frame by brackets such as indicated at 2l. The cables 26 extend upwardly and are trained over pulleys 28 mounted inbrackets 30 preferably attached to the metal framing of the roof structure of the freight car I5. The cables then extend substantially parallel to the roof to a point adjacent the end wall of the freight car, where they are trained over drums 3l mounted on a rotary shaft 32. This shaft may be operated through a suitable worm wheel and worm gear or other desired reduction driving means operable by means of a sprocket wheel 33 upon which a chain 34 is trained. 'I'he chain 34 extends downwardly along tlie end wall of the freight car to a point where it is convenient for manual manipulation to elevate the frame Ill from its lowered or floor positionto the semi-decking and roof position. The frame, together with an automobile thereon, due to the gear or other desired reduction driving means interposed between the sprocket wheel 33 and the drum 3i may be raised by manual manipulation of the chain 34 without excessive effort. When the frame I is in the iloor position, due to the inclination of the forward suspension rods I2 and to the substantially vertical disposition of the suspension rods Il, all

of the suspension rods Vwill pivot about their upper pivotal connections I4 and 20 as the frame is elevated from the floor position, and the frame will assume the semi-decking position inclined to the vertical as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. When the frame is in this position and an automobile I3 fastened thereon, it is preferred to use under-supporting members 35 and 35 pivoted to each side of the frame IU and which may be releasably connectedtothe metal framing normally provided beneath the oor 22 of the freight car I whereby to providev a very rigid mounting for the frame I0 and the load carried Ythereby during transportation.

To effect the automatic positioning of the decking frame Il] adjacent the roof 23 of the freight car I5 and substantially parallel thereto, outwardly projecting members 3'I are providedratV the forward end of the frame and on opposite sides thereof, which members are adapted to engage the under faces of the suspension bars I2 when the frame IIJ reaches semi-decking position or slightly thereafter so that the frame I0 cannot rotate beyond a straight line position about the pivot II in a clockwise direction with respect to the suspension bars I2 4while the frame is being moved from semi-decking to roof position. The suspension rods Il will not interfere with this movement from semi-decking to roof position due to the telescoping character'thereof, the rods II becoming shorter in effect as the frame is raised from semi-decking to roof position, and in the latter position, the rods I'I will lie substantially parallel and along the sides of the frame ID.

When the frame I0 is not loaded with an automobile, it may be moved from floor position to roof position by manipulating the chain 34 to tension the cables 26, the lower pivoted ends I I of the suspension bars I2 swinging through the arc indicated at 38 during this operation. The lower ends I6 Yof the suspension rods Il move through the arcs 40 and 4I duringrtheV elevation of the decking frame from the oor position tothe roof position. When the frame I reaches the semidecking position, or slightly thereafter, the outwardly projecting'members 3l engage the undersides of the suspension rods I2 and remain in contact therewith as the frame is elevated to roof position. The under-supporting members 35 and 36 are pivotally connected tothe lower endsy of the suspension rods i2 and Il and when the lower ends 4of the under-supporting members are detached fromthe car, they may be swung through` the arcs 42 and-43, respectively, to'positions substantially parallel with the frame I0. The undersupporting members may be fastened to the frame I!) by any suitable means and remain parallel thereto while the frame is elevated to roof position. Y

Reference may now be had to Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, which illustrate the preferred means employed for pivotally connecting the suspension rods I2 and I1 and theunder-supporting members 35 and 36 to the frame I and for pivotally connecting each of the suspension rods to an under-supporting member. The construction shown in these figures is that adapted to pivotally connect the lower ends of the suspension rods I2 and the upper ends of the under-supporting members 35 to each other and to the frame I0, or similarly to connect the suspension rods I'I and the under-supporting members 35 to the frame I, in the structure depicted in Fig. 1. For the purpose of illustration, the means for connecting the suspension rods I2 and the under-supporting members 35 to the frame I6 is shown, it being understood that similar means is employed to interconnect the suspension rods I'I and under-supporting members 36 to each other and to the decking frame.

The connecting means preferably comprises an element 44 provided with a cylindrical plug portion 45 adapted tobe received in the lower Vend of a suspension rod I2, for example, and to be welded, as indicatedrat 46, or otherwise suitably secured to this rod so as to support the weight of the decking frame and any load carried thereby from Vthe suspension rods. The element 44 is provided with a bearing opening 4l for receivingV angle with respect to the plane of the remainderY of the element 4, if desired, as indicated in Fig. 3. 'I'he element 44 is provided with an ear Vportion 5U arranged in offset relation with respect to the central portion of the element 44 as indicated in Figs. 3 and`4;

' The eye portion50 of the element 44 is adapted to engage an eye portion 5I of Ya hairpinor U- shaped element 52 provided with leg portions 53 adapted to be received within one end of the tubular under-supporting member35. As will be noted with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, the eye portion 5I is of greater lateral dimension than the leg portions 53 so as to provide a stop, as indicated at V54, for limiting the extent to which the member 52 extends into the tubular under-supporting element 35.Y As will be noted with reference to Fig. 5, the leg portions 53 of the U-shaped element 52 are substantially oval in cross'section with the outer faces thereof conforming substantially with the innerrperiphery of the tubular element 35. A plug element 55 is also adapted to be disposed within the upper end of the tubular under-supporting member 35 and is ofsuch Ycross section that in conjunction with the legs 53 of the U-shapedl element 52 it substantially lls the end of the tubular member 35. The plug element 55 may be provided with one or vmore stops 56 for limiting the extent to which the plug element extends into the tubular member 35.

In assemblingVV the elements above described,

one leg 5,3 of the Ll-s'haped or hairpin-like element 52 is projected through V,the eye portion 50 of the element 44 until the eye 5I engages the eye 5E. The leg portions 53 of the element 52 are then disposed within grooves 5l provided in the plug element 55A` and the elements 52 and 55 are' inserted Within the tubular member 35 until the stops 54 and 56 engage the end of the tubular member. The upper end of the plug element 55 is provided with notches 58 extending to a depth slightly below the bottoms of the groove 51 to provide suicient clearance so that the plug element 55 may be Welded in a vicinity of these notch portions to the Ushaped element 52. This Weld is indicated at 6l! in Fig. 3. The outer periphery of the plug element and the outer faces of the leg portions 53 of the U-shaped element 52 are Welded to the upper end of the tubular member 35 preferably about the entire periphery of the latter. The latter Weldis indicated at 6I in Fig. 3.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be had without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimedis:

l. As an article of manufacture, a connecting means for a tubular under-supporting member, said means comprising a U-shaped element provided With an eye portion intermediate the leg portionsthereof, the leg portions of said element being adapted to be received Within an end of said tubular member with the eye portion projecting outwardly of said end, said eye portion forming a stop for limiting the extent to which the leg portions may project into said end of the tubular member, a plug element adapted to be disposed Within said end of the tubular member and in conjunction with said leg portions of the U- shaped member substantially to fill said end of the tubular member, said plug element being provided with a stop for limiting the extent to which it may project into said end of the tubular member, said plug element and said U-shaped element being Welded to each other and to the tubular member.

2. As an article of manufacture, a connecting means for a tubular under-supporting member, said means comprising a U-shaped element provided with an eye portion intermediate the leg portions thereof, the leg portions of said element being adapted to be received Within an end of the tubular member with said eye portion projecting outwardly of said end, a plug element adapted to be disposed Within said end of the tubular member and provided with grooves for the reception of the leg portions of said U-shaped element, said plug element being provided with notches adjacent one end thereof extending to a depth below the level of the bottom of said grooves, said plug element and the leg portions of said U-shaped element being adapted substantially to ll the end of the tubular member, said plug element and said U-shaped element being Welded to each other adjacent the notched portion of said plug element and the plug and U- shaped element being Welded to the upper end of the tubular member.

3. As an article of manufacture, means for connecting a pair of tubular support members to each other, said means comprising a pair of eye members interconnected to each other for pivotal movement, each eye member having a plug por tion disposed within and adapted to be secured to one oi said tubular support members, one of said eye members being provided with a pair of bearing openings.

SULO MICHAEL NAMPA. 

